Question
So I signed up for Saks World Elite since it offers free Priority Pass membership. Seems like Citigroup Chaiman's card also offers the same.
I am only comparing options to gain membership into airline clubs.
Question:
1. Why would anyone signup for individual club membership (Red Carpet, Crown Club etc..) if Priority Pass costs the same and allows access to ALL clubs?
2. Are there differences between the Citigroup Chaiman's card and Saks World Elite card in terms of airline club membership?
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1. Why would anyone signup for individual club membership (Red Carpet, Crown Club etc..) if Priority Pass costs the same and allows access to ALL clubs?
PP does not cost the same if you often bring guests with you.
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So I signed up for Saks World Elite since it offers free Priority Pass membership. Seems like Citigroup Chaiman's card also offers the same.
I am only comparing options to gain membership into airline clubs.
Question:
1. Why would anyone signup for individual club membership (Red Carpet, Crown Club etc..) if Priority Pass costs the same and allows access to ALL clubs?
2. Are there differences between the Citigroup Chaiman's card and Saks World Elite card in terms of airline club membership?
1. Maybe things have changed, but Priority Pass does not include all Red Carpet clubs to my knowledge. It does include all Delta Clubs as of 2007. If you want access to all Red Carpet clubs, you should buy the membership, not Priority Pass.
2. You have to pay $24 for access to the club each time when you use the Saks Priority Pass. However, I think that as you spend more on the Saks card you may pay less (or nothing) for admission. Chairman's Priority Pass grants "free" access for the card bearer and 2 guests. (However, some believe that Chairman Card pays for the additional guests, not Priority Pass.)
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saks offers bottom tier PP (worth $100/yr) and it costs $24 per person every visit
chairman offers BETTER than top tier PP, because citi pays for 2 guests
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To be sure there is no misunderstanding, this comparison is theoretical because Citigroup Chairman card is not currently available. There are several levels of Priority Pass membership as explained here...
http://prioritypass.com/Join/What-It-Costs.cfm
(You may need to select a country to see the information)
The Saks card includes the Standard membership, while Chairman includes a Prestige membership plus Citi waives the $24 fee for up to two guests.
Priority Pass permits access to many, but by no means "all", airport lounges. For example, very few AA Admirals Clubs participate in the Priority Pass program.
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Just as an FYI... Priority Pass now includes all Delta lounges.
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To be sure there is no misunderstanding, this comparison is theoretical because Citigroup Chairman card is not currently available. There are several levels of Priority Pass membership as explained here...
http://prioritypass.com/Join/What-It-Costs.cfm
(You may need to select a country to see the information)
The Saks card includes the Standard membership, while Chairman includes a Prestige membership plus Citi waives the $24 fee for up to two guests.
Priority Pass permits access to many, but by no means "all", airport lounges. For example, very few AA Admirals Clubs participate in the Priority Pass program.
Priority Pass does include all Delta lounges as of 2007.
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Priority Pass does include all Delta lounges as of 2007.
So, is there a card on the market that offers PP access (or any other type of lounge access... and not airline specific like Continental's $400 card)?
The Saks one sounds good... and at no annual cost it is pretty reasonable.
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It does include all Delta Clubs as of 2007.
Just as an FYI... Priority Pass now includes all Delta lounges.
Priority Pass does include all Delta lounges as of 2007.
Is there an echo in here? :D
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CO, DL and NW offer reciprocal lounge access. Buying a membership in one of those clubs gives you access to all three without regard to the airline you are flying. If I understand correctly the Continental credit card is simply bundled with a President's Club membership, the credit card itself is not used for lounge access.
American Express Platinum (USA, $450 personal or $395 business) includes access to CO, DL or NW lounges, but you must be flying on the airline that operates the lounge.
American Express Platinum (International Dollar administered from UK, $550) includes two Priority Pass memberships.
You can purchase a Priority Pass directly, there's no need to bundle it with a credit card.
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CO, DL and NW offer reciprocal lounge access. Buying a membership in one of those clubs gives you access to all three without regard to the airline you are flying. If I understand correctly the Continental credit card is simply bundled with a President's Club membership, the credit card itself is not used for lounge access.
American Express Platinum (USA, $450 personal or $395 business) includes access to CO, DL or NW lounges, but you must be flying on the airline that operates the lounge.
American Express Platinum (International Dollar administered from UK, $550) includes two Priority Pass memberships.
You can purchase a Priority Pass directly, there's no need to bundle it with a credit card.
It sucks that Citi stopped issuing the chairman card right before I decided to get one... the PP Elite is not bad but no club membership...
The AMEX is WAY overpriced for that it offers + I live in Europe so AMEX cards are not a good alternative. I might just get the Saks card and pay the 24 when the wait is enough to justify $24 for a club (more than 1 hours or so)
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You can purchase a Priority Pass directly, there's no need to bundle it with a credit card.
chairman WAS better, since it included 2 free guests for same price.
and saks would save you $100 a year if you wanted that level.
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Pirority Pass with the Chairman is at the unlimited level...it costs 395/yr thru the PP website....
you are allowed to bring 2 guest with you at all lounges....with CO Presidents lounge it is up to 6 guests....
to this day, I have not been charged for extra guests above and beyond the limit....and have been allowed to enter at all major airports....
would I buy a membership? NEVER... as long as I have got Chairman....
Now is the start of the 2nd qtr....dr bond any new info?
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to this day, I have not been charged for extra guests above and beyond the limit....and have been allowed to enter at all major airports.... wow! so MUCH better than buying PP direct
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So since the Chairmans card is not available anymore the only options are PP or Saks card and pay $24 for each visit.
Why buy Red Carpet or Crown or any other club and not just PP since PP allows you to enter ANY club?
I know PP charges $24 for guests.
Any way to get the Chairman's card now? ebay? lol
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So since the Chairmans card is not available anymore the only options are PP or Saks card and pay $24 for each visit.
Why buy Red Carpet or Crown or any other club and not just PP since PP allows you to enter ANY club?
I know PP charges $24 for guests.
Any way to get the Chairman's card now? ebay? lol
Since when does PP get you into every Red Carpet club? I do not think that is the case.
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Why buy Red Carpet or Crown or any other club and not just PP since PP allows you to enter ANY club?
I do not know why you believe Priority Pass will allow you to enter "any" club, but it is not true. It is valid at all Delta Crown Room locations, but all other airlines exclude locations, some exclude most locations.
For example at SNA you could use the card at the Red Carpet Club, but not at the Admirals Club. At LAX you could use NW (@2), AS (@3), DL (@5), and CO (@6), no AA or UA or other airline club.
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I do not know why you believe Priority Pass will allow you to enter "any" club, but it is not true. It is valid at all Delta Crown Room locations, but all other airlines exclude locations, some exclude most locations.
For example at SNA you could use the card at the Red Carpet Club, but not at the Admirals Club. At LAX you could use NW (@2), AS (@3), DL (@5), and CO (@6), no AA or UA or other airline club.
PP and Admirals clubs were never together and still not....
At LAX, you missed one....the Mexicana lounge in the INTL terminal....
and sometimes the PP lounge is better than the airlines lounge...case in point: I am at the JL lounge in Narita now and it sucks....sorry but not everyone likes to eat Fish ball wrapped in seaweed....and it allows smoking.....
but the beer machine is AWESOME...perfect pour evrytime...wonder how to get one of those in my house...a job for Chaiman PA's....
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A few AA lounges do accept Priority Pass, such as Mexico City. The Priority Pass website does not list the Mexicana lounge at LAX.
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I really hope that Citi comes to their senses and reintroduces the old Chairman. The benefits they are offering for the new one (from rumors i have heard here) are def. not worth it (at least not for me). Considering I am paying 75 for the PP Elite the PriorityPass access would have cost me only 325 per year (and that is with all the extra benefits of the Chairman).
Were they loosing money on the program? Why did they discontinue it in the first place?
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I'm counting 5 AA lounges, 9 US, and about 20 UA ones (out of 500 in the PP program). I typically wouldn't enter one of them unless 1) it was my only choice, or 2) I had some travel-related stuff to take care of (e.g. irrops). I would head to NW/CO first (free wifi/booze) or DL second (free booze).
PP (thru Chairman) has worked out very well for me.
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You are not going to get the old citi chairman. Why would citi "come to their senses"? What's in it for citi? In this day of card programs the rule is to maximize the portfolio with enhancements (cut benefits for those that don't know). If you don't have one, your not getting one and you probably will not like the new one either. PP is not only not honored at all airline clubs, there are many airlines that do not honor it at all and some airports that do not have a single participating club.
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i think citi is going to be unpleasantly surprised, especially if they make it amex only. unless they come up with some great new benefits.
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You are not going to get the old citi chairman. Why would citi "come to their senses"? What's in it for citi? In this day of card programs the rule is to maximize the portfolio with enhancements (cut benefits for those that don't know). If you don't have one, your not getting one and you probably will not like the new one either. PP is not only not honored at all airline clubs, there are many airlines that do not honor it at all and some airports that do not have a single participating club.
I understand the disadvantages of PP perfectly well; however, it is the most comprehensive program out there at the moment and until something better (and airline non-specific) comes along that would be the best choice for any credit card to partner with.
About the "coming to their senses" part... I think Citi are in for a very bad surprise if they release an all AMEX product for such a high grade credit card aimed at traveling people (as the current version was). AMEX is not at all popular in Europe and a huge part of Asia (and I know what I am talking about - I have lived in quite a few places for more than 1 month at a time).
I just hope that another bank (HSBC, Chase, BofA (even considering their awful customer service)) picks up what is left from the current Chairman and runs with it. In the long run I am positive that they are going to be the ones that get more clients for their program (as there are way more people willing to spend $400 on a credit card and then spend 100k per year on it, than people willing to dish out 1k-2k per year and then spend 1 million on the card).
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I understand the disadvantages of PP perfectly well; however, it is the most comprehensive program out there at the moment and until something better (and airline non-specific) comes along that would be the best choice for any credit card to partner with.
About the "coming to their senses" part... I think Citi are in for a very bad surprise if they release an all AMEX product for such a high grade credit card aimed at traveling people (as the current version was). AMEX is not at all popular in Europe and a huge part of Asia (and I know what I am talking about - I have lived in quite a few places for more than 1 month at a time).
I just hope that another bank (HSBC, Chase, BofA (even considering their awful customer service)) picks up what is left from the current Chairman and runs with it. In the long run I am positive that they are going to be the ones that get more clients for their program (as there are way more people willing to spend $400 on a credit card and then spend 100k per year on it, than people willing to dish out 1k-2k per year and then spend 1 million on the card).
What you don't understand is what a bank is looking for and what "Chairman" was designed for. Travelers was never in the past and still not the target market for the card. They also do not target European customers with this card. HSBC USA is about on par with Providian with customer service and is much worse than Crap One and B of A. I cannot speak on Chase customer service since I personally have not experienced any real negatives with them. BofA service depends on the product you have. If you have a Merrill+ card you will find that you have superb service.
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... hope that another bank (HSBC, Chase, BofA (even considering their awful customer service)) picks up what is left from the current Chairman and runs with it...
HSBC Bank International already offers a card similar to Chairman, it's a co-brand version of the International Currency (Dollar or Euro denominated) Cards issued by American Express...
http://www.offshore.hsbc.com/1/2/international/cards/american-express-platinum-card
http://www.offshore.hsbc.com/1/2/international/cards/cards-comparison
The pattern seems clear. There's not much margin in credit cards unless you target customers who carry a balance or customers with high transaction volume, and time after time banks are partnering with American Express when it comes to this second group.
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HSBC UK is an excellent bank.
They are based in London, contrary to many ideas. They were originally and are currently headquartered in London. They originally started out to serve British interest in Hong Kong, hence their name.